What's Not to Love?

Since the day Allen Iverson was traded to the Denver Nuggets, Andre Iguodala hasn't been looked upon fondly by most Philadelphia basketball fans. As a diehard Sixer fan in my own right, the answer why still eludes me.

Okay, so he has a fat contract. Even if you don't think he's earning it (which he is), what is he supposed to do? Decline the Sixers' offer? Say, nahh, I think I'm worth 30 million less? Didn't think so.

So what's not to love (or rather, to hate him for)?

Is it his league-best perimeter defense, his ability to force superstars to a 30% shooting nights game after game, and be among the league leaders averaging 2.2 steals a game?

Is it his passing skills, where last season he averaged over six assists a game from the forward position?

Is it his willingness to improve aspects of his game, such as morphing himself into a 43% shooter from beyond the arc this year? Or his overall work ethic, something you can notice just by looking at him?

Is it his ballhandling and ability to play point forward, where he only turns the ball over two times a night?

More importantly, is it his unselfishness? His willingness to buy into the team aspect Doug Collins has implemented, rather than try to be the star of the team?

Maybe you find fault with his leadership ability, where he's led his Sixers to a 10-3 record, without any ego whatsoever.

Oh, wait, I know what the problem is. Sixers fans wanted another Allen Iverson, another superstar, another 30-a-night scorer, immediately coining Dre "The Next A.I." when he came out of Arizona.

But I'll tell you what. That's not Andre's game. He's not here to get into all-star games and win individual accolades (though he did play on last year's U.S. National Team, and is a finalist to make the Olympic squad), but rather to win basketball games through team play. The entire 76ers ballclub has bought into that, and Andre is no exception.

So do fans have a problem with Andre's scoring (14.8 ppg)? It doesn't matter, because Philly averages 100 points a game by getting contributions from every guy.

Do they see him as a failed attempt at trying to become a superstar? He's deferred final shot duties to Lou Williams, which is probably Doug Collins' decision. But has Andre complained at all? No.

Has he ever had any trouble with the media? Has he ever been a distraction in the locker room? Just the opposite. He's as humble as it gets, and a true professional.

So then what's the problem? Maybe as this Sixers group keeps winning games, he'll get the recognition from Philadelphia he deserves. Not that he wants it anyway.

Vick Cashes In

Boy, does it help to be a gifted football player. Just a few years removed from prison, dog killer Michael Vick was signed earlier today for six years and 100 million dollars, roughly 40 guaranteed, by the Philadelphia Eagles. This comes after a season in which Vick posted a 100.2 passer rating and was awarded the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year Award.

The average person with a criminal record struggles to find any work at all, but football can take someone a long way. Formerly bankrupt, Vick will have the cash to build a mansion similar to the one in Surry County, Virginia, the site of his dog-fighting ring, Bad Newz Kennels.

By signing Vick to such a lucrative deal, the Eagles have made the decision, or statement that Michael Vick is now their franchise. The struggling offensive line will have even more of a responsibility to protect him, as he is now 100 million dollar property.

His top receiver, DeSean Jackson, now has more reason to gripe. A top ten NFL receiver, he had all the right to hold out during training camp, as he is due just $650,000 this coming season. It is a possibility the Eagles tried to free up more cap space for Jackson by signing Vick to such a long-term deal, but it didn't do much, as the Eagles are only four million under it. This is not enough to give DeSean the money he wants. There is always the consideration that if the Eagles see enough in Steve Smith they might be willing to part with Jackson altogether and have Smith and Jeremy Maclin as the primary receivers, but that is an issue for next year.

Vick's reckless style of play makes such a large investment extremely risky; whether he will last past this season is yet to be seen. He throws his body around the way Philly fans love in the nature Allen Iverson did playing basketball, but the front office will surely frown upon it. And the way the offensive line has guarded him throughout the preseason has not been encouraging, as Vick has taken numerous hits.

Vick's quality of play in the future is up in the air as well. Toward the end of last season opposing defenses seemed to pick up on his tendencies, and he finished up the year a lot sloppier than he began it. He's made reckless decisions so far this preseason as well.

All of this aside, the Eagles see enough in Michael Vick to give him a hundred mil. They see enough in him to entrust him with the task of accomplishing the one thing his predecessor, Donovan McNabb, could not: bring the Lombardi Trophy to Philly.

Sixers' Return to Winning Ways

For the most part of this 2010-2011 basketball season, the Philadelphia 76ers have played in front of home crowds that barely fill a third of the Wells Fargo Center. Those few fans in attendance at first had little to cheer about, as the Sixers started what looked to be a terribly long season at with a 3-13 mark. But the wins this year, after the early misery, have started coming. And steadily, the bandwagon jumpers have decided to go to some games, the WFC is starting to fill, and the atmosphere that should be at any basketball game is beginning to return.

This current 76ers season has certainly had its fair share of heartbreak, completely disregarding the horrific 3-13 launch. There's been at least six games the Sixers have had under their belt, but let get away. Most recently was the game against the Memphis Grizzlies, when Philly managed to blow a 21-point 4th quarter lead.

The Sixers, since the best of the Iverson days, have taken a backseat to the Eagles, Phillies, and Flyers in the City of Brotherly Love. All three of those teams are now consistantly in championship contention; the 76ers far from it. Thus, Philly fans have paid them next to no attention. Even with this current hot streak, many fans still disregard them, and one could argue rightfully so. But some have noticed, while the Sixers still aren't a title contender, that they are playing some quality basketball.

In tonight's 100-98 thrilling win over the Knicks, there was some life in the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers inched within two games of the 6th spot in the East, possessed by New York. Elton Brand looked like the player he was with the Clippers, putting up 33 points (his highest total as a Sixer) as well as 16 boards. Andre Iguodala, the team's centerpiece, had 18 points to go along with 16 assists. Energy came from the bench. Every player contributed, and played with more effort than normally seen in an NBA game. Coach Doug Collins is in the midst of turning around another team, in this case what was a mess left by Eddie Jordan. The Sixers have won six of their last seven, the only loss being the aforementioned Grizzlies game.

Rather than in the midseason, the team's turnaround was supposed to be as a result of the 2010 NBA Draft. When the Sixers drafted Evan Turner, he was considered the savior for Philadelphia basketball, an up-and-coming star who would take the team from Iguodala's grasp. Coming off college basketball's National Player of the Year Award the season before at Ohio State, Turner was expected to take the helm and do what Allen Iverson did: put the team on his back. In the weeks before the season, the city anticipated Turner's debut, talk of him filling the city. He was the hero, receiving a standing O at a Phillies game. Though not yet a bust, this wasn't, or isn't yet, the reality. Turner is not even starting, but coming off the bench behind former Kentucky star, yet far less acclaimed Jodie Meeks. He's shown flashes of stardom, but as of right now his role is a contributor off the bench, whatever is best needed to help the team.

That very same team first aspect is a significant reason for these winning ways, every man on the team putting the common goal of any team in any league before his own personal interests. For example, Elton Brand knows he is no longer consitantly the player he once was. He's accepted the fact that he is no longer an NBA superstar, and has accepted coming off of the bench for a few games in the past. But he rarely sits now, leading the team in scoring and rebounding, and, while no longer at an all-star level he used to be, has become a backbone for this team. Marresse Speights, a guy who can certainly play in this league, scarely saw court time earlier in the year. He didn't sulk at all, but rather worked harder in practice and earned his PT, and now contributes when he's called upon.

Are the Sixers going to win an NBA Championship in 2011? No. Not a chance. But they certainly will at least put up a fight against either the Bulls or Heat, or whoever they play in the first round of the playoffs, even if they lose the series. In watching this team one can see they have the fight that other teams lack, which has led to wins. Which, currently, aren't so hard to come by any longer.